British economic Interest in India began in 1600s, when the British East India Company set up trading posts at Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta. the industrial revolution made Great Britain the world's workshop and India was its major supplier of natural resources and raw materials. India's great potencial won them the name brightest "jewel in the Crown," the most valuable of all Britain's colonies. India became even more valuable once they established the railroad network there. these railroads transported raw products from the interior to the ports and manufactured goods back again.
India was both benefited and harmed by the colonialization of Britain. on the positive side, the formation of the railroad network enaled India to develop a modern economy and brought a sense of unity to the connected regions. along with the railroads, the telephone, telegraph lines, dams, bridges, and irrigation canals enabled India to Modernize. on the negative side, British held much of the political and economic power. the conversion to cash crops resulted in the reduction of food production, causing famines in the late 1800s. also the presence of missionaries and the racist remarks from most British officials threatened traditional Indian life.
